A rumor has persisted for years in the fellowship of AA that Bill wished he could have changed "rarely" to "never." This is a myth.

In a letter to Les V., dated May 25, 1961 Bill W. stated: "Concerning your comment about the use of the word 'rarely' in Chapter Five of the Big Book. My recollection is that we did give a considerable thought at the time of writing. I think the main reason for the use of 'rarely' was to avoid anything that would look like a claim for a 100% result. Assuming of course that an alcoholic is willing enough and sane enough, there can be a perfect score on such character. But since willingness and sanity are such illusive and fluctuating values, we simply didn't like to be too positive. The medical profession could jump right down our throats...I do remember thinking about it a lot."

In addition, the following question and response were made at the 1970 General Service Conference, as part of the "Ask-It" Basket questions. Bill was, of course, still living at this time and was able to respond:

Q. Has Bill ever said, "If there was any change he would make in the Big Book, it would be to change the world 'rarely' to 'never' at the start of Chapter Five"? A. "No, Bill said he had never considered this" (1970 General Service Conference Report, p. 31).

The Responsibility Statement reads:

"I am Responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible."

It was written for the 1965 A.A. International Convention in Toronto . I have enclosed an article titled, 'How I am Responsible became a part of A.A.', from the GSO newsletter, Box 4-5-9. The article identifies former AA trustee, Al S. as the author of the Responsibility Statement. In the souvenir book for the 1965 Convention, Dr. Jack Norris writes: "..We must remember that AA will continue strong only so long as each of us freely and happily gives it away to another person, only as each of us takes our fair share of responsibility for sponsorship of those who still suffer, for the growth and integrity of our Group, for our Intergroup activities, and for AA as a whole. It is in taking responsibility that real freedom and the enduring satisfactions of life are found. AA has given us the power to choose - to drink or not to drink - and in doing so has given us the freedom to be responsible for ourselves. As we become responsible for ourselves, we are free to be responsible for our share in AA, and unless we happily accept this responsibility we lose AA. Strange, isn't it?"

In a Grapevine article in October 1965, the Responsibility Statement is discussed, and Bill W. expresses his views: Two major thoughts stood out in the remarks of the many speakers, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, at AA's July Toronto Convention. The first was admiration and gratitude for AA's startling success in sobering up hundreds of thousands of lost-cause drunks. The other was concern that the success which has come to AA over the thirty years since its start in Akron, Ohio in 1935 would not lead us to any complacency about the size of the job still to be done. The theme of the Convention was: Responsibility. "I am responsible. . .when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there. And for that: I am responsible." AA's co-founder, Bill, in his talk to over 10,000 attending the major sessions of the Convention, stressed the need for cooperation with all who work on the problem of alcoholism, the more than 100 agencies in the United States and Canada alone now engaged in research, alcohol education and rehabilitation. "Too often, we have deprecated and even derided these projects of our friends just because we do not always see eye to eye with them," Bill said. "We should very seriously ask ourselves how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not come straight to AA in the beginning." "The first concern of AA members should be with problem drinkers the movement is still unable to reach," Bill said. He estimated that there are 20 million alcoholics in the world today, five million in the U.S. alone. "Some cannot be reached because they are not hurt enough, others because they are hurt too much," he declared. "Many sufferers have mental and emotional complications that seem to foreclose their chances. Yet it would be conservative to estimate that at any particular time there are four million alcoholics in the world who are able, ready and willing to get well if only they knew how. When we remember that in the 30 years of AA's existence we have reached less than ten per cent of those who might have been willing to approach us, we begin to get an idea of the immensity of our task and of the responsibilities with which we will always be confronted."

There have been two Advisory Actions from the General Service Conference regarding the Declaration of Responsibility since it was introduced. In 1971, the Conference recommended that: The Literature Committee, following the general feeling of the Conference, reaffirm both the spirit and the wording of the "I am Responsible" Declaration from the International Convention held in Toronto in 1965. And in 1977, the Conference recommended that: The Responsibility Declaration not be changed, as it was made at the 1965 International Convention in Toronto.

G.S.O. Archives

It is mentioned in Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers that the prayer was used from the very beginning in the Fellowship, at least as early as 1938 and 1939. In those days there was no AA literature, so the early groups relied heavily on existing prayers, and on the Bible and Oxford Group literature, for inspiration and guidance. Bill W. commented several times in his correspondence about the early use of the Lord's Prayer. He wrote a letter to a member in 1959 in which he stated: "This practice probably came from the Oxford Groups who were influential in the early days of A.A. You have probably noted in A.A. Comes of Age what the connection of these people with A.A. really was. I think saying the Lord's Prayer was a custom of theirs following the close of each meeting. Therefore it quite easily got shifted into a general custom among us." Bill also wrote the following in a 1955 letter: "Of course there are always those who seem to be offended by the introduction of any prayer whatever into an ordinary A.A. gathering. Also it is sometimes complained that the Lord's Prayer is a Christian document. Nevertheless, this Prayer is of such widespread use and recognition that the argument of its Christian origin seems to be a little far-fetched. It is also true that most AA's believe in some kind of god and that communication and strength is obtainable through his grace. Since this is the general consensus, it seems only right that at least the Serenity Prayer and the Lord's Prayer be used in connection with our meetings. It does not seem necessary to defer to the feelings of our agnostic and atheist newcomers to the extent of completely hiding 'our light under a bushel.' However, around here, the leader of the meeting usually asks those to join him in the Lord's Prayer who feel that they would care to do so. The worst that happens to the objectors is that they have to listen to it. This is doubtless a salutary exercise in tolerance at their stage of progress." As Bill's 1955 letter indicates, recitation of the Lord's Prayer at meetings has clearly been controversial in some circles almost since the beginning. The GSO has responded to letters on this issue since the 1940s and 1950s. It is continually addressed in articles in Box 459 and the AA Grapevine, and has often been asked about at the General Service Conference. For example, at the 1962 Conference, in one of the Ask-It Basket questions, this subject was broached: "Question: What is the procedure for dealing with individuals who refuse to stand during recitation of the Lord's Prayer? Answer: Participation--or non-participation-in recitals of the Lord's Prayer should be considered a matter of personal conscience and decision."

G.S.O. Archives

A.A. Grapevine, February 1953 Vol. 9 No. 9

(Editor's Note: From the Metropolitan Rotating Committee the following "Message of Sponsorship" has been received. Issued as a letter to all of Chicago's 5,000-plus AAs, it reminds us that the Big Book says: "Practical experience shows us that nothing will so insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics." To provide space for an interesting approach to sponsorship received from a Canadian AA, we have abridged the letter somewhat.)

IN the early days of the Chicago Group, sponsorship was done most thoroughly. Indeed, groups elsewhere in the country spoke of the "Chicago system" of sponsorship.

The picture has changed. Perhaps it is a natural result of growing big. At any rate, the old style of sponsoring, with the sponsor utterly devoted to his prospect, is seen infrequently.

There is no way of checking the probable large number who have failed because of the lack of proper effort by their sponsors. CHICAGO'S SUGGESTED PROGRAM

1. Responsibility is the first principle of good sponsorship; the sponsor is the one who assumes responsibility for the person seeking help. If one is unable to devote the time and attention essential to good sponsorship, one should not undertake, at least without a strong co-sponsor, such an assignment.

2. Sponsorship must be approached with the most serious attitude. AA is a life or death matter to the alcoholic seeking help; if we fail, the new man or woman has been denied the good chance he could have had with another sponsor. Prepare yourself for the first call on a prospect by re-reading the chapter in the book, "Working With Others."

3. Visit the new prospect as soon as possible after he calls for help; presenting the recovery program to him at the psychological moments he reaches for it may be the factor that saves his life.

4. On your first visit, tell the prospective AA, frankly and simply, some of your own story--with enough Pauses that he may chime in with some of his own experiences and reactions. Let him ask questions. Explain how AA works, but keep your presentation brief and simple. Do not wear out your welcome. . .when he becomes restless take your leave, making an appointment to see him again as soon as practicable.

5. In presenting the program to a prospect, don't thrust your personal views upon him. Tell him about the AA program as it is presented in the book, and let him do his own interpreting, especially in regard to the spiritual aspects. He will get the views of many other AA's, in addition to yours, at meetings and in conversations. Out of all that, with what guidance you can give him, he will find a way to apply AA principles to his own life and problems.

6. Be prepared to sacrifice much of your time for a considerable period to give the prospect the greatest possible chance. Make yourself available to him daily for counsel and companionship.

7. See that the prospect becomes acquainted with many other AA's, so that he may get a broad picture of the AA program and find his own interpretation and application of its principles. Make the prospect truly your friend. Give of yourself without stint in trying to help him. Invite him to your home, preferably for a meal.

8. See that your prospect immediately gets a copy of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous; it is best that he buy a copy. Ownership of the book once was a virtual symbol of AA membership; regular reading and rereading of the book is recommended practice for every AA as a tool of recovery.

9. Do not take on, in your enthusiasm, more prospects than you can properly handle. AA is strong medicine. It affords the recovered alcoholic a unique opportunity to serve his fellow man. The temptation to run up a big score of saved souls is strong. But one new member a year well-sponsored is a better result than 50 given the once-over lightly.

10. Emphasize the importance of regular attendance at meetings by precept and example. Even if you have grown careless about going to meetings, it is your responsibility to accompany the prospect to several such (and this may save you from a relapse).

A.A Grapevine, May 1950 Vol. 6 No. 12 & June 1950 Vol. 7 No. 1

The Chairman tackles a tough question

THE chairman had just opened the regular weekly closed meeting when Doc slipped quietly into the room. His lips were white and his hands trembled as he lighted his cigarette. "Ole Bill just hung himself in the jail," he muttered. "Fine sponsor I turned out to be."

The chairman eyed Doc, "I had another topic in mind to kick around tonight, but on the strength of Doc's sad report, and his personal reaction, perhaps we'd better give some thought to the subject of sponsorship. . .

"Let's see, Doc. You've been dry eight months. Ole Bill was your first pigeon and you went all out for the old boy. You gave him the wet-nurse treatment, and good. Net result--two months sobriety, a bad slip and an alcoholic's death for Ole Bill. . .For you, Doc, a sense of frustration and defeat. But don't loose sight of the thrill you had in helping another alky try to regain his rightful place in life. That he failed to benefit from your enthusiasm and sincere effort to help, doesn't make you a failure as a sponsor, Doc.

"You assumed your responsibility. You fulfilled your obligation to AA and showed your gratitude for your sobriety. You did the job of sponsoring Ole Bill in the way you thought best. Each case is different and has to be treated accordingly. But there are certain basic thoughts pertaining to sponsorship. . .With your permission I'll act as Mr. AA Anthony and try to give you my opinions to your questions on this most important AA activity. . .Let's have 'em."

"Give us a couple reasons how sponsorship should NOT be used."

"First--for personal satisfaction; second--to increase the membership role of the group, and third--by the member who's doing the sponsoring not to 'play God.' In other words, the only reason for bringing another alcoholic into AA is for the prospect's own gain."

"How does one become a sponsor?"

"He answers a Twelfth Step call and his prospect looks to him for guidance and help in working the Program. Or, you may be asked to take over some newcomer who is not getting along too well with his present sponsor, or some member of AA may say, 'I'd like you to be my sponsor.' "

"Can a man sponsor a woman, and vica versa?"

"Yes. Many successful recoveries have been recorded with man and woman sponsorships. Usually the initial call is made by a man-and-woman team, for the obvious sake of propriety."

"How soon after a person has come on the AA Program can they become a sponsor?"

"I've heard of persons being dry one day and going on a Twelfth Step call, with excellent and enduring results for both parties."

"What are some of the important things to find out about a prospect?"

"As soon as possible learn if he has a drinking problem. Does he know he has a problem. Does he want to do something about this drinking. Does he honestly want help--for himself, not because of the pleadings of family and boss."

"Should you dig into his personal life?"

"Absolutely. Get to the root of his marital, financial and employment situations, his age, domestic relationships and drinking habits. Assure him you're not prying, but you want to help straighten out his problems, and talking them over with someone who understands how he collected them, will release him from his alcoholic loneliness."

"Does a person's education, intelligence, background, age or quantity of liquor consumed, have any bearing on whether or not he is an alcoholic?"

"Experience has taught us--no."

"Is hospitalization always necessary?"

"No. However hospitalization affords an opportunity for drying out, and time to clear away the cobwebs. Physical condition will usually answer your question."

"What's the best way to gain the confidence of your prospect?"

"Qualify yourself as just an ordinary person, who had a drinking problem, but found happiness and regained self respect in a new way of life offered by following the AA Program."

"Should you pitch right into your own personal drinking story?"

"In most cases you will want to relate at least part of your drinking life. But do so in a manner that will describe you as an alcoholic, rather than the main character in a series of drunken parties and incidents. Give him the true picture."

"He's tried all the usual means for controlling drinking, and is skeptical about AA being able to do any more than the others?"

"Show him how you too tried various so-called controlled drinking plans, all to no avail. Tell him how you learned through AA that you drank from compulsion, that you had a disease, now recognized as alcoholism."

"Is it wise to point out the benefits he can get from becoming a member of AA?"

"It is providing you don't give him the impression that he's about to take a ride on the Glory Train. He must not expect to start at the top, or even the middle of the ladder, but rather at the bottom. Because its here, and only here that he'll learn about humility and self-honesty--two prime requisites for progress on the AA program."

"Should you try to explain the Twelve Steps?"

"First I'd tell him about the importance of reading the Big Book. In this he'll find a picture of himself on many pages of the personal stories. He'll also find an explanation of the AA Program and the AA tools--the Twelve suggested Steps of Recovery. Should he ask for more, tell him your own interpretation of the Steps."

"How about the Spiritual Phase of the Program?"

"Use your own judgement based on your observations of the prospect. You know how you felt about this part of the Program. Sound him out regarding his religious faith--if any, and try to explain what we mean by a Power Greater than ourselves. . .God as we understand Him. You can point out that you personally had never been able to stay sober working on your own, but that asking for guidance and outside help has made it simpler for you."

"Isn't it good to let your prospect tell you about his drinking?"

"Definitely. Encourage this. It will give you an insight into his habit pattern and will give you an opportunity to present the AA Program more effectively. Also, it will release the pressure on him. . .This is the way to arrive at a common denominator."

"How about getting him to a meeting?"

"Arrange this as soon as possible. If you can't accompany him, select someone whom you think will be compatible. Get him to several meetings, and quick. Tell him he can pick the group in which he feels most comfortable. Impress upon him that he's welcome at any meeting, and can change his home group at any time he wishes."

"How about the prospect's family?"

"The most important move after talking with the prospect is to contact his family. Explain the principles of the AA Program. Also impress them with the idea that their boy has to do this for himself, and no one else. Point out that he is a sick man, but advice them that he shouldn't be babied. See that they get to an open meeting and hear first hand some of the miracles performed through an honest working of the program. Try to keep in touch with them and seek their confidence regarding the progress of the prospect. Always bear in mind that the ones most interested in your pigeon have been through a lot of punishment themselves, and that they too have to make readjustments."

"Is co-sponsoring practical?"

"An experienced older member in company with a new AA makes a most effective sponsoring team. The terror, loneliness and anguish of compulsive drinking is still fresh in the new AA's memory. He is closer to the actual drinking problem than the older member. He can gain the immediate confidence of the prospect. Then the older member can take over and interpret the working of the program, giving the full benefit of his experience."

"Can a sponsor turn his responsibility of a new man over to another?"

"If conditions indicate that the original sponsor can't fulfill his responsibility he can select another man or woman, to assume his sponsorship. Explain to the prospect what's going on. Maybe he'd like to select someone in his group to whom he has taken a liking."

"Is it part of a sponsor's work to get a job, clothing and a place to live for the prospect?"

"If your pigeon is really down to rock bottom, the sponsor should try to help him get going again. In the case of a man who has recently lost his job, it may be indicated for the sponsor to contact the prospect's former boss and have a talk with him, and possibly get the man reinstated. Avoid making any promises, or in any way committing yourself as to the man's newfound desire to live the good life. He will have to prove himself. Some bosses take a lot of explaining before they agree to try "once more", while others are in full accord and understand the Program."

"How long should you wet nurse a pigeon before you let him go on his own?"

The chairman smiled. "Brother, that is the 64 buck question. In fact, it brings us right back to where we started this discussion tonight. . .With Doc's treatment of Ole Bill.

"All I can offer on that score is not to knock yourself out trying to keep a guy sober. You've got to think of yourself, first. If you've given your prospect the fundamentals and he honestly wants to stay sober, he'll work the Program, and all he'll require from you is friendship, and a shoulder to pour his troubles out on occasionally."

R.G.M. Grand Rapids, Michigan

AA Grapevine, December 1952, Vol. 9 No. 7

THE seventeenth Christmas for Alcoholics Anonymous is here. Considering all that has happened since AA's first Christmas in 1935, no words can portray the meaning of Christmas 1952. The only thing of which we're really sure is that we have given of ourselves, and have received gifts that no imagination can fully describe. Guided, we are sure, by an all generous and wise Providence, AA's message of hope has been carried into nearly every corner of the earth. The Christmas drama of giving and receiving has been re-enacted everywhere and still goes on.

Many of us in AA are of the Christian faith, though not all. We have Jews who look to Jehovah; agnostics who hopefully look to the AA group as their Higher Power; and there are Indians upon our Western plains who regard the Great Spirit as their guide. Now that we have opened tiny beachheads on the shores of Asia, we have no doubt that some of our brothers and sisters there reverence Buddha and others Allah. It is a comforting fact of our life together that none of these differences has ever disturbed us. Indeed, it can be said that they have, in some subtle and mysterious way, bound us even more firmly together. The insurance of that bond is our common kinship in suffering, and our universal release from it by the kind of giving that demands no reward.

So, by whatever name we may call it, the spirit of Christmas is in us all. How best to give and how to receive with ever more gratitude is our common aim. We'd like to practice the spirit of Christmas the year around. Therefore, we shall especially ask ourselves at this season: "What more can we find in order that we shall have more to give?" Since personal example is one of the great energies by which AA spreads, let's have a quick look at the life of a man who became able to practice the spirit of Christmas every day in the year.

He was born in Italy centuries ago. The age in which he lived was almost as confused and baffling as our own. His first attempt at living was just like ours. He ran away from life as fast as he could, and by nearly the same means. Few, it was said, could romance more gaily than he, shake the dice with Dame Fortune with more abandon, nor clatter his wine flagon on the table more loudly. He probably had a pretty good time doing it, too, at least for a while. Bit by bit, though, he got fed up. During a long siege of illness he hit bottom, even as we alcoholics do.

One day he said to himself, "Suppose that in all things I try henceforth to do exactly as my Master would have done." This was the vision that gripped him, and he set foot on the new highroad. Some of his friends were amused, and others were deeply concerned. Some said it wasn't practical; others thought he had gone out of his mind. But by living one day at a time, teaching and sharing as he went, with no thought of reward for himself, he started a movement that deeply affected the whole world of his day; it reached into every level of society. He gave all he had, and that inspired others to do likewise. He brought true comfort where there had been none.

And how did he do this? The prayer he so often spoke tells us. Here it is:

"Lord make me a channel of Thy Peace That where there is hatred. . . I may bring love That where there is wrong. . . I may bring the spirit of forgiveness That where there is discord. . . I may bring harmony That where there is error. . . I may bring truth That where there is doubt. . . I may bring faith That where there is despair. . . I may bring hope That where there are shadows. . . I may bring light That where there is sadness. . . I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to Comfort. . .than to be comforted To understand. . .than to be understood To love. . .than to be loved For. . .it is by self-forgetting. . .that one finds It is by forgiving. . .that one is forgiven It is by dying. . .that one awakens to Eternal Life."

The lesson that Francis leaves us is clear and no example could be brighter. "Freely ye have received; Freely give" and. . .a Merry Christmas!

Bill W.

AA Grapevine, October 1944, Vol. 1 No. 5

Editorial:

The A.A. program itself is simple. Why do too many of us try to read complexities and mysteries into the 12 steps?

In our drinking days our lives were complex and confused. We were unable to be honest with ourselves and we rationalized our wrong position with all the tricks of evasion and equivocation. We added jealousy, resentment and intolerance to the tangled pattern of our lives. Our greatest longing was for relief, for deliverance from a way of living that had become too complex to endure without the treacherous aid of alcohol.

Our introduction to A.A. at once offered that freedom, if we desired it without reservation and were willing to follow a few steps whose greatest appeal to our bewildered spirits was their simplicity. One of the main differences between A.A. and other programs of sound living is the ease with which a newcomer can grasp its principles, and with which the oldest member can live each day in harmony with himself and his neighbors by practicing the simply stated 12 steps.

Kipling might have written this expressly for A.A.: Not as a ladder from Earth to Heaven, not as a witness to any creed, but simple service simply given to his own kind in their common need.

If each individual member wholeheartedly and unquestioningly accepts the program in the simple form it was given us, without straining for effects and methods of practice to elaborate it, we will have even-tempered groups with only enough organization to insure against over-organization.

Earl T. - Chicago

A.A. Grapevine, October 1945, Vol. 2 No. 5

Editorial: On the 12th Step . . .

"Having had a spiritual experience as the result of those steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

Very few of us know the exact hour and date we had our spiritual experience, and some of us are not conscious of ever having had one at all. However, our changed personalities and perspectives are definite proof that "something" happened to us somewhere along the line as those who knew us "when" will attest.

A.A.s refer to the 12th Step as "working with others," and this means we try to help the other person work out his or her problem. From our vast fund of knowledge on the subject, gained from our own actual experiences and often under similar conditions, we are peculiarly qualified to exercise that sympathetic understanding that only another alcoholic can have and which is so important in talking to a person who, like ourselves, is allergic to alcohol. This is the crux of the success obtained by groups throughout the country. This A.A. program, which is responsible for our own sobriety, and for giving us a new lease on life, was handed to us on a silver platter and without monetary cost. It is our bounden duty, therefore, to pass it on in the same manner to those who want it. It was not intended for us to keep to ourselves.

We are admonished to, "Go ye and spread the gospel," and Webster defines gospel as: "Any doctrine concerning human welfare that is agitated as of great importance." Surely, to us alcoholics it is of the utmost importance. We carry out the 12th Step when we share our gift by telling others of the help we have found, by lending encouragement to those who find the way difficult, by making calls when requested to, and by attending meetings to show to the sensitive newcomer that he or she is not alone.

Sobriety, however, is not enough and length of sobriety is not so important as quality of sobriety. The A.A. program is a design for living normal, happy lives, and it is necessary that we practice the principles of tolerance, patience, unselfishness, humility, and that we curb our all too human desire to criticize and bear resentment.

It is sometimes discouraging to talk to a person who does not immediately respond to our "pearls of wisdom," but right there is where we exercise patience and realize that once the seed has been sown, John Barleycorn is our best salesman. Two years ago O.L. was called upon in New York City and after three or four meetings considered himself "cured," and in no further need of association with the A.A. group. Last week I was called to a hospital here in Atlanta, to interview a patient who turned out to be my old friend O.L. who had sense enough to scream for A.A. and was now "ready" for the entire program. None of us can let our defenses down, for unless we keep everlastingly at it we are doomed.

Persons thank us for showing them the way, and relatives are inclined to credit one or another of us with the recovery of their loved one. It is then that we realize that "Of myself I am nothing" --and we thank the Power greater than ourselves for making us an instrument of His ways.

T. B., Atlanta, Georgia

A.A. Grapevine, September 1945, Vol. 2 No. 4

Editorial: On the 11th Step. . .

"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

IT is often wisely said in A.A. that we should not become over-anxious, should not expect to get the whole program overnight, but should take the steps one at time when we feel that we are ready for them. This means that although we are not ready at a given time to take this step or that one and are, therefore, not then taking it, we should be disposing ourselves toward it. It never means that we should plan on avoiding any of the steps.

Practice of the 11th Step is the surest method of disposing oneself toward all the other steps. It was only through seeking contact with God through meditation and prayer that some of us came to believe in Him and became willing to turn our wills and our lives over to Him. The wish to improve that contact, the searching for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out, gives us strength to make amends, to do the things necessary to remake our lives.

Unless we improve our contact with God we will gradually lose it. There will be a slow return to indifference and we will suffer that let-down that so many experience after a few months in A.A. Gradually old desires return with increasingly great urgency. The alteration in conduct that we have made for a few months has not been sufficiently sustained to lead to a change in character, and the deeper habit patterns reassert themselves. Growth in spiritual understanding alone will dispose us to make the effort to recondition ourselves, to change our emotional attitudes and bring about a true character change.

For specific suggestions for practicing the 11th Step we turn to the book Alcoholics Anonymous, as we do on all A.A. questions, before going ahead on our own. Applying the wisdom we find there, we turn with newly awakened interest and intensity to the practices of our particular religious denomination, if we have one; we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers; we may study the recorded thoughts of others; but in any event we make it a practice in the morning to ask God to guide us during the day, and thank Him at the day's close for His many blessings. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends, but ask especially for freedom from self-will and knowledge of God's will for us.

Some of us have found the following verse helpful on awakening, when all our wishes and hopes for the day rush at us like wild animals; the first thing we must do is shove them all back, and listen to that other voice, letting a calmer, quieter, stronger life flow into us:"Every morning rest your arms awhile upon the window-sill of Heaven and gaze upon your Lord, and with that vision in your heart turn strong to meet your day."

All of which, of course, is calculated to keep us from taking that first drink. It works --it really does.

R. D.
Garden City, New York

A.A. Grapevine, August 1945 Vol. 2 No. 3

Editorial: On the 10th Step...

"Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."

THE admission of a wrong compares in its effects to a strong cauterizing agent. When applied promptly it burns away the infection, but the treatment may be painful. How much mental pain an individual incurs by admitting a wrong depends not so much on the degree of the wrong as on how seriously he is afflicted with vanity and false pride. The more vain the person, the more reluctant he is ever to admit a mistake. The more false pride he has, the more imperative it seems to him to perpetuate the illusion of his own perfection.

Since we all know that vanity and false pride are distortions of the mind, perhaps the reason they are so common is the fact that, although we can spot them immediately in others, we have considerable difficulty in detecting them in ourselves.

Here the value of the personal inventory is self-evident. If it is honest and thorough, it will leave no vanities and false pride unrevealed. It is the means by which we can detect in ourselves the faults we note so readily in others and which we know are obstacles to the growth of an effective and happy personality.

The first inventory we take as we begin to apply the A.A. program naturally tends to be the most soul-searching and the most revealing. In most cases, it is the first self-reckoning we have undertaken in many years and most of us are likely to unearth a great accumulation of debris.

This inventory provides the guide for basic, and usually drastic, correction. Subsequent inventories serve to show whether the first efforts toward correction have been effective and what additional correction may be needed. By this method of personal checkup, we can determine for ourselves whether we are actually moving forward or have slipped backward.

Continued personal inventory is also a medium for readjustment to new objectives. As the A.A. moves upward he frequently finds that he is constantly lifting his sights. What satisfied him previously does not do so any longer. When he was learning to crawl he looked ahead to being able to walk. When he could walk he wanted to run. His expanding personality demands larger fields. If the person he wanted to be yesterday has come into being, he now wishes to be a still better person.

The inventory, obviously, is only part of the treatment. The deficiencies it reveals must be made up. Or, in the thought of the 10th Step: When wrong, promptly admit it. That is putting the inventoried knowledge into action.

Haliburton once wrote, "When a man is wrong and won't admit it, he always gets angry."

Anger, as we well know, is particularly poisonous to us. How foolish and ironical to fall prey to it through vanity!